Clay plaster is nothing but a mixture of sand and clay that can make a beautiful, alternative to traditional paint and plaster, and also at the same time it is environmentally friendly too.
Let us briefly state here a few properties of clay plaster:
- It can help moderate humidity
- Its anti-static quality can keep it clean
- It can inhibit mold growth
- It can contribute to our improved indoor air quality as well as acoustics.
- It is also easy to repair in case gets damaged.
Read also: 7 Essential Tips for Green Cleaning at Home
1. Where can you use clay plaster in your home?
Usually, clay plasters will be quite suitable for any kind of internal use, and can also use them on your walls and ceilings too. In most of the homes, you can use them in any of your rooms.
However, in the area where you want to use clay plasters, there should not be either any running water or standing water present in the surroundings. Clay plaster will not be suitable for such areas in your home.
Such places in your home can be:
- Bathroom showers
- Wet rooms
- Exteriors or behind sinks.
In addition to that, you must also consider what type of material are you going to apply to your clay plaster. That is because clay plaster may not be suitable for all kinds of applications.
Although you can apply clay plasters onto most substrates like gypsum board, they may not be suitable for applying onto wood or metal surfaces directly.
2. Few pros and cons of clay plaster
Pros:
- Natural and totally free from toxins, VOCs, polymers, formaldehyde, and also plastic.
- Can create a breathable wall
- Minimal carbon footprint
- A matte finish with less shine as compared to alternatives like Venetian plaster.
Cons:
The only con of using such clay plaster is, this can be used only by a specialist. Therefore, only those having experience using this can only draw all the benefits.
3. How much does it cost?
Compared to traditional walls, you will find clay plasters a bit expensive. However, you must remember, you may not require to spend unnecessarily on expensive paint finishes for your clay plaster wall, and thus you can balance your budget to a certain extent.
If you are looking for a reasonably good quality of plaster then it may cost you around £7 to £10 for a bag of 25 kg. However, clay plasters will cost you around £15 per 25 kg bag.
4. Is it possible to paint clay plaster?
Most homeowners in the UK will prefer to use clay plaster because of the unique finish that it can offer.
Also, by using pigments along with the clay plaster mixture, you can specify the color ranges that you want.
If you wish to paint your clay plaster surface in the near future, then you can use suitable clay, for example, for a solid paint finish, you can use Earthborn Paints Clay paint.
Conclusion
Clay plaster has been introduced to offer a number of benefits however, an experienced user only can exploit most of its benefits. It will cost moderately higher but is a good option in the longer run.
